The Energon Pub

No. Blackout and Soundwave were always supposed to be different characters. In fact, even early on, Hasbro insisted that Soundwave be a stereo and have mass conversion. Take oa look at the early articles here on this site, and they state this. Soundwave was always going to be a stereo. When Michael Bay decided that putting mass conversion into the first movie would be too much, they were going to use the name Soundbyte (and this does indeed appear on some of the concept drawings of the character). Finally, last summer, it was decided that they couldn't comprimise on Soundwave. They had to do him right, and they couldn't in the first movie, so they went with the name Frenzy instead, and decided to hold off on Soundwave until,a sequel. Don Murphy discussed this at last year's BotCon.

Tramp wrote:While I agree, Cassette deck stereos are very "80s", the current designs, which have CD changers, and in some of the more decked out version,s full DVD players with monitors, are certainly not "80s", and that is what I envision Soundwave being. Picture a large portable stereo with CD changer, and DVD player with monitor, as well as ports and mounts for an MP3 Player (Laserbeak/Booster X-10), and other perifierals which transform into his other minions. That is what I am talking about for Soundwave. That would be the ultimate Soundwave. Screw the tape recorder. I'm talking fully decked out portable stereo audio/visual system; almost a portable home theater.

A home theater doesn't seem very inconspicous to me.

It's a figure of speech. A portable stereo system with CD changer and DVD player, is almost like a portable home theater. It isn't literally one, just the next best thing. Think about it, Two large removable speakers, which are pretty standard on larger portable stereos, a CD changer, and a DVD player with a seven or eight inch widescreen monitor. They do make portable stereo DVD players. Why couldn't that be built into a large enough boombox?

Besides, what makes a sound system so inconspicuous is it's ubiquity. Portable stereos of all makes and models are everywhere, be they high-end or low-end. For Soundwave, a high-end model with the works just fits better.

Okay, okay... say he is some kind of "portable stereo system" with lots of bits and pieces, with mass-shifting to boot.

The problem I'm analysing is how he can, at original size, infiltrate a building himself..

If he was big like the original, there would be no way he could get close to a building on his own without being spotted. If another decepticon drove him there as his alt mode (like Barricade/Frenzy) he would still need to get from the car into the building. So he would have to be able to move around like Frenzy too if you want him to be going around inside buildings. Big AND small robot modes as well as an alt mode?

Unless he was to stomp around, and all the humans are stupid enough to not notice him disappear and then they happily carry the mysterious boom-box into the building themselves..

He can't just be small like Frenzy, period. All the fans would hate it and well.. we already saw that in TF1.

Unless perhaps, he's big like the original, turns into a stereo-system via mass-shifting, and one of his minions, Rumble or whoever, carries him into the building that way.

I'm just trying to understand the logistical nightmare of having a huge robot transform into an immobile object.
Still not sure about Hasbro's need to put mass-shifting into these films at all, I think it would be better without it. I still prefer the vehicle mode for him. Could well be proven wrong though..

..Suppose his stereo alt mode could sprout legs and run around

Look I'm a Soundwave purist too, but him being a stereo will just not work.

I saw an earlier post about a tricked out vehicle.

That could work given that could be an excuse for a custom paint job.

Besides, whose to say the "cassettes" couldn't be parts of a major custom sound system.

Check out the Element SC. Put some after market parts on it, have the tailgate be the chest, and voila...

A Fennek Wheeled Armed Reconnaissance Vehicle.
Thought it could transform into Soundwave pretty neatly, with the extra recon devices and guns on it transforming into his "cassette bots". Laserbeak could easily transform from an extra satellite dish.

Just an idea, maybe a more advanced version as this was a year 2000 model I think.

Tramp wrote:It's a figure of speech. A portable stereo system with CD changer and DVD player, is almost like a portable home theater. It isn't literally one, just the next best thing. Think about it, Two large removable speakers, which are pretty standard on larger portable stereos, a CD changer, and a DVD player with a seven or eight inch widescreen monitor. They do make portable stereo DVD players. Why couldn't that be built into a large enough boombox?

Besides, what makes a sound system so inconspicuous is it's ubiquity. Portable stereos of all makes and models are everywhere, be they high-end or low-end. For Soundwave, a high-end model with the works just fits better.

Tramp I think you have your heart set on what would be dope for Soundwave. Man do you really trust Mike Bay to do what your asking?? I think you are going to have your heart broken dude. Well I'm like this, Im just happy Soundwave is in TF2. Time will tell...

hi guys, completly new guy here about to post his reply. im a complete noob, so ill probably be flamed to death for my thoughts here, but it is worth a shot. how about soundwave's alt mode being a human? u knw i was thinking that soundwave's robot protoform would be shown at the begining of the movie. he would say im going to scan a disguise unlike any other. the human male, could become friends with sam an mikeala. only revealing himself in the end to stab them in the back, and reveal himself as soundwave. sounds stupid right? but if type in my idead for the movie it might sound much better. Has there ever been a transformer with a human alternate mode? if there was, well probably cant be used. but if not, it is a wonderfully original idea, even if another decepticon takes that role instead of soundwave. dont know how he would use his sound based powers though... still working on that. so wat o u guys think? be brutal, i guess...

Tramp wrote:It's a figure of speech. A portable stereo system with CD changer and DVD player, is almost like a portable home theater. It isn't literally one, just the next best thing. Think about it, Two large removable speakers, which are pretty standard on larger portable stereos, a CD changer, and a DVD player with a seven or eight inch widescreen monitor. They do make portable stereo DVD players. Why couldn't that be built into a large enough boombox?

Besides, what makes a sound system so inconspicuous is it's ubiquity. Portable stereos of all makes and models are everywhere, be they high-end or low-end. For Soundwave, a high-end model with the works just fits better.

Tramp I think you have your heart set on what would be dope for Soundwave. Man do you really trust Mike Bay to do what your asking?? I think you are going to have your heart broken dude. Well I'm like this, Im just happy Soundwave is in TF2. Time will tell...

So he IS in TF2? This is confirmed?

He should be some sort of audio equipment.

No, I don't care what kind.

No, I don't care about the impossiblity of size morphing.

Let's get creative here. The creative team will be making millions for it, work it out.

If he's some sort of vehicle, like Animated, i'll be highly disappointed. If that route is chosen, then at least give him components that TF into what were once the cassettes.

Hummer? Spare tire is Laserbeak, Engine is Rumble, or whatever. Be creative for this much loved character.

Night Raid wrote:So he IS in TF2? This is confirmed?

CONFIRMED!

Klozminded-G1 wrote:If he's some sort of vehicle, like Animated, i'll be highly disappointed. If that route is chosen, then at least give him components that TF into what were once the cassettes.

Hummer? Spare tire is Laserbeak, Engine is Rumble, or whatever. Be creative for this much loved character.

If he were to be a vehicle of some sort having different parts of the car become the would be cool its been said a few times i think. There is always going to be upset no matter what Soundwave turns out to be but I think they will make him look awesome when they bring him to the big screen. OK so i know now all there decisions were perfect but they did decide to leave him out of the movie till transformers 2 which was one of the better decisions of this movie so he can be introduced properly. And in writing this i had a crazy thought Its kind of a radical idea but what if Soundwave was made up of a few different bots like lazoer beak ravage and his other bots are all different items and things so he can do recon on many places at once and then to collect the information all of them combine to create soundwave. Doing it this way would make him move himself not make him a vehicle.

I can see that idea making sense, glitched. Whatever they do, people are going to be disappointed. That much is a given. Imho, I say have him triple/quadruple/etc-change. Must all the transformers only have one alt mode? When Frenzy lost his head, he became a cell phone. I think it'd be neat if he could keep every form he's ever reformatted into, and become them at will to fit the situation. And just to be totally off the wall crazy? Have him go out with a blast and become a b-2 bomber for when he's sent on search and destroy missions.. drop his minibots like bombs. Eh. Just one possibility of many, and by far one of the more original [albeit far fetched without it being all TOO rediculous] ones I can come up with for the time being.

He needs to be and 8 track.

Sorry, "an 8 track" jeez, ruined the whole timing of the joke....

OmegaExtreme wrote:I can see that idea making sense, glitched. Whatever they do, people are going to be disappointed. That much is a given. Imho, I say have him triple/quadruple/etc-change. Must all the transformers only have one alt mode? When Frenzy lost his head, he became a cell phone. I think it'd be neat if he could keep every form he's ever reformatted into, and become them at will to fit the situation. And just to be totally off the wall crazy? Have him go out with a blast and become a b-2 bomber for when he's sent on search and destroy missions.. drop his minibots like bombs. Eh. Just one possibility of many, and by far one of the more original [albeit far fetched without it being all TOO rediculous] ones I can come up with for the time being.

what i was thinking was when the multiple bots come together to become soundwave then soundwave could have an alternate mode to his robot mode but is still made up of a bunch of smaller transformers

OmegaExtreme wrote:I can see that idea making sense, glitched. Whatever they do, people are going to be disappointed. That much is a given. Imho, I say have him triple/quadruple/etc-change. Must all the transformers only have one alt mode? When Frenzy lost his head, he became a cell phone. I think it'd be neat if he could keep every form he's ever reformatted into, and become them at will to fit the situation. And just to be totally off the wall crazy? Have him go out with a blast and become a b-2 bomber for when he's sent on search and destroy missions.. drop his minibots like bombs. Eh. Just one possibility of many, and by far one of the more original [albeit far fetched without it being all TOO rediculous] ones I can come up with for the time being.

They all can triple change or turn into whatever they want at the drop of a dime as long as it fits there size....there was no limit on single alts in this new generation of the tf's....poof

CJH wrote:Okay, okay... say he is some kind of "portable stereo system" with lots of bits and pieces, with mass-shifting to boot.

The problem I'm analysing is how he can, at original size, infiltrate a building himself..

If he was big like the original, there would be no way he could get close to a building on his own without being spotted. If another decepticon drove him there as his alt mode (like Barricade/Frenzy) he would still need to get from the car into the building. So he would have to be able to move around like Frenzy too if you want him to be going around inside buildings. Big AND small robot modes as well as an alt mode?

Unless he was to stomp around, and all the humans are stupid enough to not notice him disappear and then they happily carry the mysterious boom-box into the building themselves..

He can't just be small like Frenzy, period. All the fans would hate it and well.. we already saw that in TF1.

Unless perhaps, he's big like the original, turns into a stereo-system via mass-shifting, and one of his minions, Rumble or whoever, carries him into the building that way.

I'm just trying to understand the logistical nightmare of having a huge robot transform into an immobile object.
Still not sure about Hasbro's need to put mass-shifting into these films at all, I think it would be better without it. I still prefer the vehicle mode for him. Could well be proven wrong though..

..Suppose his stereo alt mode could sprout legs and run around

First off, Mass conversion has been shown to not necessarily be tied totally into his Alt mode. On a number of occasions, G1 Soundwave transformed into his alt mode without shrinking. Why couldn't he transform into robot mode without growing to full size if necessary. On top of that, at least one of G1 Soundwave's minions has been known to get stuck in his smaller size even in robot mode because of a glitch in his mass conversion systems. IT should still be tied into his transformation to work. In otherwords, if he were in robot mode, but small size and had to grow to full size, he should need to transform into his alt mode first, then transform back into robot mode while activating his mass conversion system to grow to full size simultaniously. Just having him gorw won't look right. The growth or reduction in size and mass has to tie into his transformation, though he should not be required to activate the mass conversion process if the mission would work better if he didn't. By the same token, yes, one of his minions could also carry him into position, when the taret building is closed for the night. Night is the best time for infiltration anyway.

Hmm I see your point.

I'm fairly sure they WILL have Soundwave mass-shifting as you suggest; the producers have been quoted saying they and hasbro want it..
I guess I'm just very weary of the reception that will have from Non-fans.. might be taking disbelief too far.
But, having said that, I loved the first film, I should have more faith.

I guess it could be pretty menacing if Soundwave could become huge, and likewise sneak into narrow spaces. But I always thought of his minions being the ones to go through narrow spaces, not him.

Bah, I dunno!

CJH wrote:Hmm I see your point.

I'm fairly sure they WILL have Soundwave mass-shifting as you suggest; the producers have been quoted saying they and hasbro want it..
I guess I'm just very weary of the reception that will have from Non-fans.. might be taking disbelief too far.
But, having said that, I loved the first film, I should have more faith.

I guess it could be pretty menacing if Soundwave could become huge, and likewise sneak into narrow spaces. But I always thought of his minions being the ones to go through narrow spaces, not him.

Bah, I dunno!

That was the reason why they saved him for the sequels, and didn't really have mass conversion in the first movie. It would be too much for the audience to handle with everything else hat had to be dealt with. However, now that all the rest has been dealt with, they can now deal with the concept without risk to suspension of disbelief. Too many fantastic elements at once can destroy suspension of disbelief. The same number of fantastic elements, spread out over a longer period of time, is much easier for an audience to accept.

CJH wrote:I guess I'm just very weary of the reception that will have from Non-fans.. might be taking disbelief too far.

I agree with this line Un-Uncrazamatic one. I'm worried about the green beans... I don't think they will understand, nor do I think they should. I hope when Soundwave transformers he doesn't shrink...I don't like this idea at all.

Did no one read my reply on page 3?

I think he should be like a weapon master kind, only a device master, meaning that he would be for example a small spy robot like a dvd/cd boom box or car radio and then attach to a military vehicle in battle mode being his real self. I think that mass conversion is unreal specially being 2007 or 2008 for the sequel.

how about a hummer stretch with neon lights on the bottom, spinning rims, high stereo system and a theatre in the back